Making Out with the Billionaire

by Swann, Marcella

  “No. I love my brother but he clearly needs to loosen up. Have a little fun.”

  He turned to Kerry and winked.

  “Have you ever had your heart broken?”

  Dorran didn’t miss a beat. “I do all the heartbreaking. Been true from day one.”

  “So this answer is no?”

  “Yes, Kerry, the answer is no.”

  “Have you ever been in love?”

  “What?”

  Kerry leaned in. “Have you ever been in love with a woman?”

  Dorran sat up and rubbed in chin. “That’s a relative term. I love women. All women. Let’s take you, for instance.” He turned to Kerry and looked her in the eyes. He was dazzling in his beauty, and Kerry felt lust surge when she got a closer look at him than she had so far in their short relationship.

  “You, Kerry Donovan, are a beautiful woman. Do I love you? Well . . . yes. In a way. I’d love to take you out of this office to a perfect spot near Coit Tower, have some dinner and then head over to my place. Have a good time, you know? I guess I love the possibilities you represent.”

  “Wiggeewwammeee HA!”

  Kerry’s outcry threw Dorran back in his chair. “What the hell. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  The concern on his face gave way to a wry smile. “Did you say ‘wigwam something ha’?”

  “Nevermind. Let’s move on. Do you believe in being faithful in a relationship?”

  “Monogamy is an interesting concept that doesn’t quite hold up in our history or in the animal kingdom. But I will say this, women have a fidelity gene that is laudable. I expect faithfulness in my relationships. I don’t tolerate those games with the women I hook up with.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “And you reciprocate that fidelity?”

  A broad smile crested curling at the edges of his mouth into dimples that made Kerry weak with desire. He turned away.

  “Well, that’s a different issue altogether.”

  “No, you are the issue.”

  “Okay, so you want to know if I’m serially monogamous?”

  “I read the papers. I know all about you, Dorran Knight.”

  “Don’t believe everything you read.”

  “Then answer the question. Are you faithful in your relationships?”

  Dorran took his time, considered his answer. This was sensitive. He didn’t exactly want a relationship with Kerry, though she was hot. But neither did he want to end any possibility of a relationship, especially a carnal one. This woman-with-brains thing was kind of sexy.

  “You know, I’m really getting into this. This chair is comfy.”

  “You’re avoiding the question.”

  “What was the question?”

  “You know the question. Have you been faithful to women you’ve dated?”

  Dorran knew he couldn’t stall any longer. He considered his answer.”

  “I think . . . that’s a personal question. Do you have to have a license or something?”

  “This is not a therapy session. We are a man and woman trying to get to know each other at the start of a possible—underscore possible—relationship. This has nothing to do with my professional practice. Now if you would be so kind as to answer my question.”

  “I like the relationship part. I’m game if you are.”

  “I’m game for you to answer the question.”

  “You’re like a dog with a bone. But I’ll play. I have a very active love life, if you must know. I like it that way. The ladies like it that way. When a woman is with me, I give them my everything. As I said, I love women in all shapes and curves. But as to the question of me—Dorran Freakin’ Knight—being faithful to just one woman at a time. Hell no. Why would—”

  At that moment, Kerry pulled the spray bottle by her side and sprayed by Dorran’s face.

  Dorran turned away and looked baffled as he wiped at his face. “What the fuck? Did you just spray me with a water bottle?”

  “No. This is an aromatic spritzer and the room needed it. A psychologist’s intuition. It’s all essential oils. It has a calming effect.”

  “Psychologist’s intuition? Calming effect?”

  Dorran caught himself and let the confusion drain from his face. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to play some weird psycho game. Are you some weird psycho Gone Girl kind of woman, Ms. Donovan?”

  At that, Kerry couldn’t help but laugh. “I read the book, never saw the movie.”

  “I saw the movie, never read the book.”

  Kerry put her hand on his. “All right, I’ve got one more for you and the grilling is all done. Do you believe in the institution of marriage?”

  Kerry tried to pull her hand away, but Dorran wouldn’t let go at first. She realized that she liked the feel of his hand but gave it another yank and pulled away.

  Dorran pulled his legs around the edge of the chair. He was directly across from Kerry now, so close she could hear his breath.

  “So now we get to the nub of it. Am I worth the trouble? Is that it?”

  Kerry was about to protest, but Dorran raised his hand to stop her.

  “I’ll answer your question,” he said. “But I’ll need something in return. Fair enough?”

  “What do you mean? It depends on what exactly you want.”

  “I’ve dated dozens of women, and I’ve never subjected myself to a psychological examination. So you want me to answer that question, I have to have something in return.”

  “All right. What is it?”

  “Just a simple shake of the hands.” Dorran held up his right hand. “And a kiss on the lips.”

  “What?”

  “Fair is fair.”

  Kerry could feel her whole body yearn for that kiss—to devour the man. She looked away, quickly surmising that he’d boxed her in. She knew she could break his patterns—his mental associations. But in order to get him to the next phase, they’d have to start seeing each other. The kiss might seal the deal.

  “All right,” she grunted. “Answer the question.”

  In a split second, the billionaire bad boy turned into a boy with a big smile and excited eyes. He grabbed both her hands.

  “It may surprise you, Kerry, but the answer to your question is that I most definitely believe in the institution of marriage. It may not be my thing but, hey, if that’s what floats your boat, knock yourself out. Take the plunge. Put a ring on it. My mom and dad loved each other very much and were married ’til the day they died.”

  For a moment, Kerry was swept away into his beautiful blue eyes and felt as if she was being lifted, airy and light, into his arms. Dorran looked deeply into her eyes and knew what to do. He leaned in, his face moving ever so gracefully toward hers.

  Kerry closed her eyes as their lips met. His lips were soft and moist, and Kerry could see bursts of color behind her closed eyelids. He filled her senses. As he kissed her, Dorran lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. It was electrifying.

  When Kerry pulled away, she felt her world spinning. That had been everything she’d hoped and more. Dorran was smiling, and the look in his eyes indicated to her that he’d enjoyed it every bit as much as she had.

  He bent toward her again, and her lips parted slightly in anticipation. But instead of a second kiss, he whispered in her ear. “I know you purposely sprayed me with a water bottle.”

  Chapter Five

  A month later, Kerry was deep into molding her Prince Charming. But she had to admit, Dorran was a toughie. He had a lot of bad habits that made him Mr. Wrong in so many ways. Between his playboy partying behaviors and his lack of a filter, she had her work cut out for her. Yet, Kerry was never one to shy away from a challenge, especially not such a handsome one. Besides, there was something about him that told her not to give up, something deeper that she sensed underneath his party boy exterior. She just had to find a way to reach what laid beneath.

  Today, she was moving to
Phase II. The bad habits were going to be hard to break because Dorran was so into himself, his achievements, his work. It gave him a sexy self-confidence, but he needed to tone down the self-involvement a bit. He could be charming and fun and caring. But she had to find a way to get him out of his own mind, to make him see the world beyond Hail and his own needs.

  And Kerry knew just the thing to do. She texted him.

  Meet me at the children’s hospital today at three.

  His reply was immediate.

  Why?

  Kerry smirked. His quick response was encouraging, a certain sign that he wanted to see her, and she was interested to see how he would handle this outing. It was surely outside of his comfort zone.

  A little charity work.

  She put her phone away without further explanation. She was sure he’d come, whether he liked the idea of volunteering or not. Now, she needed to decide what to wear.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Dorran was staring at his phone with his brow furrowed.

  A children’s hospital? He wasn’t the type to go to charity events. He’d donate money, perhaps, or maybe even make a speech, but hands-on charity work wasn’t exactly his thing. His grandmother handled all that on behalf of the company or even the family.

  He was totally into Kerry, though. Her body was out of this world, but her brain seemed to be even better, so smart. She was very different from any other conquest he’d pursued. In fact, she was complex. Maybe that’s what made her so intriguing to him. He’d never spent this long pursuing a woman before. He told himself he was just doing it to keep his grandmother and brother off his back, but that didn’t explain why he kept thinking about her every single day.

  Instead of arguing with her, Dorran simply replied with a thumbs-up emoji. Whatever. Some battles were just not worth fighting. Besides, what better way to woo her than making kids laugh and smile. In fact, maybe he’d get a few photos on his phone to show his grandmother and brother. It could only help make him look good. They were slowly starting to come around, noticing that he wasn’t in a drunken stupor all the time. And he did have to admit that it was nice to wake up feeling rested instead of hungover every morning. But it was temporary.

  Another month or two of this become a better Dorran crap, and things might get back to normal.

  So, he didn’t argue. Instead, he popped some ibuprofen, chugged a bottle of water, and set out for the hospital.

  “What do you have up your sleeve this afternoon, Ms. Donovan?” He asked when she met him in the lobby. She stood perfectly straight and was wearing a black dress with red stilettos that matched her Hermes handbag. He’d learned that Kerry didn’t really do the casual thing, preferring to dress nicely at all times. She always looked so put together and so hot.

  Kerry simply shrugged with a sweet smile on her face. “We’re just going to make some kids happy.”

  Before he could complain about that vague answer, she grabbed his hand and pulled him along to the elevator. They rode up to the third floor together, and he kept ahold of her the whole time. When the elevator opened, Dorran froze for a moment. The place was a whirlwind of activity. The hallways were brightly colored, and nurses were everywhere. Dorran could hear the voices of children echoing throughout the hallway, full of laughter and life.

  The place exuded a warm happiness, but it was a hospital with very sick kids. Dorran tried to get his bearings, this was not what he was expecting. It should be depressing, right? To his right, he could see a little play area with toys and books, although it was empty of children at the moment. An approaching nurse pulled Dorran from his thoughts.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Donovan and Mr. Knight. We’re so glad you could join us. The kids are certainly looking forward to seeing someone that isn’t dressed in scrubs for a change.”

  There was a pause, and he could feel both sets of eyes on him. “Hey, yeah. At least, we’re not in scrubs . . . I guess.” Dorran felt as awkward as he sounded.

  “Okay, then follow me. I’ll take you to meet one of our very special patients.”

  She took off down the hallway without waiting for them to respond. Dorran had to hurry to keep up as the nurse moved so quickly. Kerry was at his side, not letting her high heels slow her down.

  “They always walk this fast?” Dorran whispered in Kerry’s ear. She just shot him a little half-smile without answering.

  As they passed each room, he peeked in to see the kids. Most of them had visitors, and many wore smiles, even the kids that were visibly sick. It was almost hard to comprehend the positive vibes. Then the nurse came to a sudden stop outside one of the doors. Dorran almost bumped into both her and Kerry.

  “This is it,” the nurse said and went inside. Kerry let Dorran walk ahead and enter the room first. She wanted to gauge his reaction. As they entered the room, she leaned against the back wall, eyes glued to him.

  “Bobby, we have a friend here for you to meet. His name is Mr. Knight and—,”

  Dorran interrupted her, “Call me Dorran, please.”

  Bobby’s face erupted in a grin as he leaned forward in bed. His face was pale, but it didn’t stop him from smiling. There was something so contagious about his smile that Dorran found himself grinning, too.

  “Hey, Mr. Dorran.”

  The enthusiasm in his voice caused Dorran to laugh. “Hey yourself, Champ.”

  “I like your sunglasses. And your watch is so shiny. Is it one of those Smartwatches? Or a Rolo?”

  For someone so sick, Bobby was so . . . normal. The curiosity and excitement were something he would expect from a healthy child. But a sick one? Dorran hadn’t given it much thought in the past, but he supposed he thought a child so sick that they were in the hospital would be upset, probably a little depressed. Bobby wasn’t. If the roles were reversed, Dorran was sure he wouldn’t be in such good spirits.

  “I think you mean Rolex.” Dorran’s smile was growing wider by the minute. “It is, would you like to see it?” Bobby nodded enthusiastically as he slipped the watch off his wrist. The little boy’s eyes lit up as he began to play with it in his hand.

  “I love watches. My grandpa used to fix them. I know Rolex is really great. That’s what my grandpa would always say. I used to love going to shop and watching him work on them. So many cool gears working together.”

  Kerry couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she watched this interaction. The stubborn, always guarded Dorran Knight was showing a softer side as he took a seat in the chair beside Bobby’s bed, falling into an easy conversation with the child. She had to admit, nothing had ever been sexier to her. What was it about a guy that was good with kids that drove women crazy?

  It must have something to do with an evolutionary need to procreate, she decided.

  All she knew for sure was that Dorran was genuinely smiling. Despite his obvious reluctance to be here when they arrived, he appeared to be enjoying himself now. She was glad to see that the arrogant smirk that he usually wore was nowhere to be seen in this moment.

  “Mr. Dorran, do you want to come meet my friends?” Bobby asked suddenly.

  “Heck, yeah. Let’s go meet your friends.” The enthusiasm in Dorran’s voice made him almost seem child-like, naturally mimicking Bobby’s sweet voice.

  Bobby looked at the nurse and clasped his hands to plead. “Can we go? Can we please go?”

  Dorran turned to Kerry with puppy dog eyes that made her burst out laughing. “Ms. Donovan, can we please go?” He made sure to hold the e in please as long as he could. He had such a flair for the dramatic.

  Kerry pretended to think with her index finger on her chin. “I don’t know. Have you both been good boys?” Bobby and Dorran both nodded their heads with grins on their faces, Dorran exaggerating his. The sight of the two of them was absolutely adorable. They had clearly connected immediately. She looked to the nurse, who nodded. “Well, then, let’s go.”

  The nurse carefully helped Bobby out of bed. Without the sheets and blankets covering him
, it was obvious just how frail and thin the boy looked. Dorran’s heart dropped to see the evidence of his illness. He wanted to keep talking with the boy, to distract both of them form the ugly truth of his situation.

  “Hey, are you a San Francisco Titans fan?” Dorran asked, seeing the NFL team’s logo in white on the front of his blue t-shirt.

  “Oh, yeah,” Bobby said, as he looked down at his chest. “They’re the best. My dad is a big fan, too. He’s a soldier, you know.”

  “Your dad sounds as awesome as you are,” Dorran said, as they walked out of the room. He kept pace with Bobby while Kerry and the nurse trailed behind. “Do you have a favorite player?”

  “Robbie Lee Richmond,” Bobby answered without hesitation, his eyes lighting up. “He’s so awesome. Did you know that last season he had the most touchdown passes of any quarterback in the league?”

  “Actually, I did know that. But I’m impressed. Not a lot of kids your age know so much about football.”

  “You gotta be a real fan to know,” Bobby told him with a knowing grin. Dorran chuckled. He liked this kid.

  Dorran followed along as they walked toward the play area. There were a few kids in there now, and they all seemed to be around Bobby’s age, which he would guess to be around ten.

  Bobby plopped down on the floor in front of a bookshelf, criss-crossing his legs in front of him. Following his lead, Dorran sat down beside him.

  “You want to see something awesome?” Bobby asked.

  “Always.”

  Bobby reached out and took a book off the shelf. “This is the best book ever written.”

  Dorran glanced at the cover, recognizing the book, even though the cover was different from the one he was used to. “The first Harry Potter book. You’re right, that is awesome. And you know, I was about your age when I read this one myself. I even got in trouble for reading during science class instead of taking notes. I was cool like that.” Dorran winked.

  “This one is the illustrated version. It’s the best.”